


Funny Weather You're Having

by cryptaknight



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: hp_drizzle, F/M, HP Drizzle Fest 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:06:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26455336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptaknight/pseuds/cryptaknight
Summary: Zach notices a strange weather pattern around Luna's house, and decides to investigate.
Relationships: Luna Lovegood/Zacharias Smith
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9
Collections: HP Drizzle Fest 2020





	Funny Weather You're Having

"I have to say, I can't thank you enough," Amos Diggory said, setting a steaming tea cup in front of Zach, before taking a seat across from him.

"It was nothing, sir," Zach said, spooning an ungodly amount of sugar into his tea and giving it a stir. "It's good practice for me, anyway."

And Merlin knew he needed the practice. He'd already gotten a late start working at Gringott's in their security division - or an early start on a second career, depending upon how one looked at it - after an injury had sidelined him from the Quidditch pitch at the age of 28. When Mr. Diggory had mentioned he needed to strengthen the wards at his house, Zach had leapt at the chance.

"Yes, well, you've been a great help to me, as usual," Amos said. 

Zach waved him off with a flap of his hand. He didn't need thanks. His help wouldn't be needed if Cedric had been around to do things like help de-gnome the garden or chase out the boggart hiding in the attic. It was the sort of help a son gave a father, and since Zach had lost a father and Amos had lost a son, the arrangement seemed a natural fit.

Zach opened his mouth, to say something of that nature, when a loud clap of thunder sounded in the distance. 

"Has it started raining?" he asked, surprised. It had been bright and sunny when he'd been working his way around the perimeter of the Diggorys' home.

Amos harrumphed and said, "I doubt it. Probably Lovegood's house acting up again."

"I'm sorry, what?" That was such a strange thing to say that Zach wondered if he ought to suggest Amos pay St. Mungo's a visit for an exam.

"Lovegood's house. Look, come see."

Mr. Diggory stood, beckoning to Zach to follow him out into the rear garden. Skeptically, Zach followed him outside, where it was just as sunny as had been twenty minutes before. Once in the garden, Amos pointed a finger, directing Zach to look over to the west. Surely enough, a cottage stood in the distance, and above that cottage was a singular thunder cloud, pouring down rain on the domicile beneath it.

"How exceedingly odd," Zach said, unable to take his eyes from the sight. A bolt of lightning zipped down, narrowly missing the roof.

"It belongs to the Lovegoods," Amos said, as if that explained everything. Zach was aware that the Lovegoods enjoyed a certain reputation; he'd spent several Hogwarts Quidditch seasons sharing an announcer's box with Luna, after all. But still, this seemed unusual even for Luna.

Zach bit his lower lip. "Maybe I ought to go check on Luna."

Amos harrumphed again. "That happens all the time."

Zach cast a doubtful glance back at the cottage. He'd been round to Mr. Diggory's house plenty to help the older man out, and he'd never observed any such phenomenon. Another clap of thunder rolled over the otherwise peaceful countryside. 

"It could be dangerous. I'd feel better if I went over and said hello," he said, reaching a decision.

"If you must," Amos sighed. 

Zach thanked Amos for the tea and double checked the wards he'd just repaired before he apparated away. He landed a few yards from the Lovegood cottage, which like the Diggorys' was on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole. He muttered a spell, holding his wand up to disperse the rain in a vague umbrella shape, and several long strides saw him knocking on Luna's door. 

The Luna that answered his knock was not quite the Luna that Zach remembered from their Hogwarts days. For one thing, she was frowning. She held a decidedly grumpy posture. Also, her socks matched. She wasn't wearing shoes, however, which was a source of relief.

"Uh. Is this a bad time?" 

Luna flung her hand upward, gesturing at the stormy sky, in response to Zach's question. "Does it look like a good time, Zacharias?"

Zach squinted up through the dome of water above his head. "You do seem to be having a peculiar spot of weather."

Luna's lips twitched, and she stepped back. "Come on in, then. But you'd better put this on. I suspect Nargles have taken up root in this house." 

She produced a long bit of thread with a butterbeer cork strung on it, which she looped over Zach's head without waiting for an answer. This was more like the Luna he knew. He found himself bending his neck to accommodate her.

"I'm truly having the most awful day," she said, in what seemed to be a non-sequitur. "The Ministry denied funding for my research into Umgubular Slashkilters, Butternut knocked all the Fizzing Whizbees off the counter, my father and I got into an argument, and of course now the Nargles."

She collapsed into a chair without ceremony. Zach gingerly took a seat on the sofa, which did not in any way match or complement the chair, next to a yellowy-orange cat whom he presumed must be Butternut.

"And the odd weather," he offered.

"What?" Luna asked, looking at him as if she'd just remembered he was there.

"The strange storm over your house. Must be contributing to the bad day, yeah?"

"Oh, no. That was to be expected." Luna straightened up. "Tea?"

"No, I just had some over at Amos Diggory's." It was too late; she'd already flicked her wand and a tea set was sailing in from the other room. "Luna, what d'you mean, it was to be expected?"

Luna plucked a cup and the kettle from the air and poured herself a cup of tea. She returned the kettle and gave it a nudge in Zach's direction. 

"This is what happens when I'm in a foul mood."

"What?" Now he was echoing her. The unused tea cup was trying to fit itself into his hand, and he whispered, "No, thank you." He pushed it gently away. "You're going to have to explain that a bit more," he said to Luna.

"It goes along with the house. Whatever sort of mood I'm in, the weather suits." Luna frowned again. "Usually it's quite pleasant, but on the rare occasions that I am unhappy, the weather acts up. Awful day, awful weather. So of course a storm was to be expected today."

She took a sip of her tea as if what she was saying was perfectly normal.

"Of course." Zach paused, pushing away the tea cup, which was growing more insistent, again. "Can you turn it off?"

"Not while I'm still grumpy, I'm afraid. But the thunder sounds quite nice, I think," Luna mused.

"But the lightning could be dangerous, Luna. I saw a strike nearly hit your roof," Zach pointed out. "Does the storm follow you if you leave?" The tea kettle was now tapping on his skull with its spout, and annoyance had given Zach an idea.

"No," Luna said. "It's definitely attached to the house."

"Then would you join me for lunch?" Zach said, standing and swatting the kettle away from his head. 

Luna looked up at him, a curious look in her wide-set grey eyes. "I will, if you're alright with Muggle food. I've a fancy for curry."

"Curry sounds aces, " Zach answered, already halfway to her front door, doing his best to evade the tea set. 

Lunch was a surprisingly pleasant affair. No - more than pleasant. It was fun. Luna had guided Zach to a fantastic Indian restaurant in Ottery St. Catchpole proper, where every employee seemed to know her by name and was thrilled to see her. Zach ordered a gigantic bowl of extra spicy vindaloo, while Luna had a vegetarian curry. They shared some garlic naan and potato samosas, and a lot of conversation. 

Zach filled Luna in on his all-too-brief career with the Falcons (and gracefully ignored it when she murmured "Loser's Lurgy"), and his new employment at Gringotts, and Luna brought Zach up to date on her work researching cryptids and lesser known magical creatures. Zach found himself agreeing that the Ministry were being right arseholes by not funding her current research into the critter whose name he could not wrap his mouth around, and also promising Luna a ride in one of the carts the goblins used to navigate Gringotts (evidently Xenophilius Lovegood did not 'believe in banks').

It was with some regret that Zach returned Luna to her cottage, where the terrible storm had thankfully died to a light drizzle. But he'd already promised his evening to his gran, who was hosting a dinner for her old lady friends and wanted him there to show off what a dutiful grandson he had. As he left Ottery St. Catchpole for St. Ives, however, his brain could not stop puzzling over Luna's unique problem, which he was sure there was an answer to, if only he could think of it.

The next weekend found him on Luna's doorstep again. Fortunately, this time there was no thunderstorm raging, though the sky over her cottage was significantly more grey and cloudy than in the neighboring areas. Zach was also not alone this time.

Luna opened the door with a wide smile, though it faltered some when she saw that he was not unaccompanied.

"Oh, who's this?" she asked, looking with disconcerting focus at the sharply dressed older woman standing next to Zach.

"Luna, please meet Margaret Candleflame," Zach said, unable to hide how chuffed he was. "She's a friend of my gran's, but more importantly, she used to be the senior-most cursebreaker for Gringotts before she retired."

Zach had been delighted upon his introduction to Madam Candleflame at his gran's dinner the past Sunday. He'd found a moment to take her aside and tell her about Luna's weather problem after pudding, and Madam Candleflame had generously offered to come take a look at Luna's house to see if she could discover the cause. 

"I see," said Luna, her voice wary. "And why have you brought her here?"

Zach grinned at Luna, then at his older companion. "To resolve the curse on your house, of course! I'm certain she can figure it out."

"Oh." Luna's smile disappeared completely. "No, thank you."

Zach let out an audible sound of surprise as the door closed in his face. Then his own smile fell from his face, and he felt his temper start to rear its head. He pounded on the door.

The door opened again. 

"Yes?" Luna's voice was dangerously pleasant.

"Luna," Zach said sternly, "Madam Candleflame has come here to help you."

Perhaps she had not understood him the first time.

"I understand." There went that theory. "And I said, 'No, thank you.' So. No, thank you."

The door shut again, a bit more forcefully this time.

Zach turned to Madam Candleflame with gritted teeth. "I am so sorry. Give me a moment."

"Of course, dear." The older woman patted him on the shoulder.

Zach pounded on the door again. This time Luna did not answer. 

"Luna!" he shouted, to no avail. This was ridiculous. He pounded on the door a bit more for good measure.

Luna yanked the door open. There was no false cheer to be found now. Zach couldn't help noticing that the sky overhead had darkened, as well. 

"Zacharias! I do _not_ want any help. But thank you ever so much."

Zach did not find her thanks believable.

"Luna, please stop being silly. I know you're a crackerjack charm-worker, but Madam Candleflame has tonnes of experience with all sorts of curses. There's no shame in letting her fix something if you can't."

Luna positively glowered at him, and the clouds began to gather overheard. This was not going how he'd hoped at all.

Margaret Candleflame tapped Zach on the shoulder. "I'm just going to let you young people work this out. Do send me an owl if I can be of assistance."

"Oh, no, Madam! Please don't go! Luna will-" Zach began to say.

"Luna will what?" Luna's voice had taken an edge Zach had never heard before.

Madam Candleflame gave Zach a sympathetic smile, and disapparated with a pop.

Zach wheeled around to stare at Luna incredulously. "Why would you do that?! She was here to help!"

"And I said _no_!" Luna yelled. Thunder rolled ominously overhead.

"But _why?_ " Zach yelled back, his temper finally lost. She'd made him look like a jackass in front of a woman who was not only a friend of his gran's, but who'd held a prestigious position at a company where he hoped to advance.

"Because it's not a curse, you complete bellend!" Luna's hands were fisted on her hips now, and her hair crackled with the static electricity from the impending storm.

"Bellend?! I'm a bellend?! Look at what's going on over your house!" Zach gestured at the storm brewing overhead. As if on cue, the skies opened and began dumping torrential rain on him.

"Good thing I'm inside, then!" Luna threw up her hands and slammed the door once more. 

This time, Zach did not try to get her to open it back up.

Instead, he apparated home, swearing to never let a helpful impulse get the better of him again. As he dried himself off, he asked himself why he'd even bothered. Luna had never responded to anything the way he or anyone else would. Why should an obvious curse on her home be any different? He'd only thought that he'd not like his mood revealed to his neighbors and any random passersby. It had seemed serendipitous when he'd met a top tier cursebreaker the very night he'd learned of Luna's problem. Clearly, Luna did not see it that way. 

Neither did his gran, as he discovered the next time he went round her place. She'd heard the whole story from Margaret, and was on Luna's side before Zach even got a chance to tell his. 

"Did she ask for your help?" his gran asked, looking at him over the rims of her spectacles as she dealt out the cards. They were playing gin rummy, which was his gran's favorite card game.

"No," Zach grumbled, picking up his hand. 

"Then how do you know it was a problem?" Gran flipped over the twenty-first card, a seven of clubs.

Zach frowned, ignoring the seven of clubs to take a card from the draw pile. Nothing useful. He barely paid attention to the card he tossed out. "Gran, it was obviously a problem. I watched lightning nearly blow her roof off just because she was in a strop."

His gran picked up the seven, tucking it neatly into her hand and discarding a two of hearts. "But was the roof blown off?" 

"No," Zach admitted, drawing and discarding another set of cards.

"Did it occur to you that Luna has been dealing with this house on her own for some time? And the house remains intact?"

Zach didn't answer, just gave an indistinct grumble.

"Mmhmm," Gran said knowingly. "Women don't always want a man swooping in to solve their problems."

"I know that," Zach said, scowling. He still wasn't drawing much of use into his hand.

"Why don't you just apologize to her, then, dear?" 

"Gran." Zach sighed. "Can we just play cards, please?"

"Of course, dear." She smiled sweetly at him, then laid her entire hand on the table. "Rummy."

And with that spectacular start, she proceeded to trounce him for the rest of the afternoon, as she typically did.

Although Zach tried very hard to convince himself that his gran was wrong, and that he had nothing to apologize for, he found himself thinking of the argument with Luna often over the next several days. She'd never yelled at him before, and he'd been far less easy to get along with when he was a teenager. It preyed on him so much that the next time he went to Ottery St. Catchpole, intending to drop by Amos' house, he found himself veering toward Luna's house instead. Even if he'd done nothing wrong, he still did not like the way they'd left things.

He was pleased that Luna opened the door to him the first time he knocked, though she peered about suspiciously and asked who he'd brought with him this time.

"No one," he said earnestly. "Just me. Look, Luna - can we talk? Please?"

She still looked suspicious, but she invited him in. He headed off her offer of tea before she could make it, this time. He'd learned his lesson as far as that went. He sat next to Butternut again, idly stroking the cat's head while he mustered up what he wanted to say.

"I am sorry I brought Madam Candleflame around without asking you first." Zach was surprised to find he did have an apology to make. "I suppose it was a bit presumptuous."

"And I am sorry I yelled at you," Luna said, straightforward as always. She did not seem to have the difficulty apologizing that he did. "The house is not cursed, however, so a cursebreaker was very unnecessary."

Zach was confused. "If the house isn't cursed, then why does it do … what it does?"

Luna looked at him very seriously. "It's a sad story. It might make it rain a bit."

"You don't have to tell me," Zach said quickly. "I don't want you to feel sad."

"I don't mind telling you," Luna said, in the serene way she had. "But you do seem to mind when the weather acts up, so I thought I should warn you."

"I don't …" Zach's cheeks heated. "I don't mind the weather." His gran had been right. He'd simply assumed it was a problem that wanted solving.

Luna sat on the sofa with him and Butternut, taking over petting the cat when Zach's hand fell away.

"My mother died when I was nine, as I think you know." At Zach's nod, Luna continued. "She was working on a charm of her own invention at the time. A weather patch, she called it. It was meant to allow someone to carry a bit of weather with them, so they could guarantee it would be sunny when they wanted to have a picnic, or that it was appropriately dreary at a funeral, that sort of thing. I don't know exactly what went wrong. I was in the room when it happened, but I was down on the floor painting and not paying Mum much attention."

Zach's heart was in his throat. He and Luna had both been able to see thestrals; it had been something they'd bonded over and which had sparked the unlikely friendship between them to begin with. Zach had lost his father to a heart attack. What had happened with Luna's mother sounded much worse. He almost didn't want her to finish the story, but he wasn't cruel enough to stop her.

"A lightning bolt struck inside. Mum knocked me out of the way, and she got the most of it. The lightning ricocheted, you see. It hit her, then the ceiling, then my foot." She paused, reaching out to touch the back of Zach's hand, as if comforting him despite this being her tragic story. "The weather has been connected to the house and the person in it ever since. And that is also why I don't want it fixed. It's the only thing I have to connect me to my mother."

Luna stopped talking, and true to her prediction, Zach could hear rain pattering on the roof and windows. 

"Luna, I am so sorry," Zach said, more easily this time. He turned his hand under hers, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. "I should never have interfered."

"It's okay." Luna squeezed him back. "I do believe that you were trying to help me. It wasn't welcomed, but it's nice that you wanted to."

Zach looked down at their joined hands. "I care about you. That thunderstorm scared me. I was afraid you'd get hurt." He looked back up at her, but didn't move his hand. He thought back to what his gran had said about Luna managing things fine for herself. "How do you keep yourself safe?"

"I try to stay happy, mostly. I don't get into a terrible mood very often. But the house does know when I'm faking. I've tried it."

Zach laughed. "Well, what makes you happy, then? If I can help, and you want me to, I will."

Luna's face took on a sly look. "Hmm. I did enjoy going to lunch with you the other day. Talking to you was very nice."

"Was it now?" Zach arched an eyebrow. "But we're talking now, and it's still raining."

"That is true." Luna touched a thoughtful finger to her chin. "Perhaps we should do more than talk."

Before Zach could come up with a witty reply, Luna had leaned closer, sending Butternut jumping from the sofa in protest. Then her mouth was fitted against his, and he found himself quite happily kissing her. 

He'd never imagined what it might be like to snog Luna Lovegood, but he discovered it was quite to his liking. Her mouth was soft and warm, and her body fit nicely against his. She also smelled very nice, like strawberries and sweet cream. He was content to keep kissing her for however long she liked. 

When she pulled away, she smiled and pointed to the window. Zach's grin was even bigger than hers when he realized the sun was streaming in through the glass, and the rain overhead had ceased.

"But, Luna," he said teasingly, "I can't come over every day to make out with you."

"Why not?" Luna's eyes were wide and innocent, but Zach wasn't buying what she was selling. "Don't the goblins give you a break?"

Zach didn't have a good answer for that, so he just laughed, and pulled her close again.


End file.
